Health & Safety

FOR MANY YEARS NOW, I HAVE STEERED CLEAR OF ALL SPRAYS - whether they be Air Fresheners, hair sprays, antiperspirants, aftershaves, or whatever, I have always suspected that the risk of breathing in those little globules can't be good for you, - and now, at last scientists are agreeing with me!

I formed my original opinion way back in The Fifties, when I trained as a nurse, and figured that those little droplets of chemical that we so nochalantly spray into the air must be adhesive, and therefore, when they are breathed in, (and it would be difficult NOT to breathe them in) are bound to become attached to the alvioli in the lungs. This is as bad, if not worse, than the tar that adheres to the lungs when smoking. let's also remember that the chemicals in the sprays are intended to kill bad smells, or reduce sweat (mainly by blocking your natural pores in the skin!) or to kill bacteria, which wouldn't do your delicate lungs much good either.

SO MAKE UP YOUR MINDS - WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT - HAVING A NICE SMELL IN YOUR HOUSE, - OR PROTECTING YOURSELF, YOUR LOVED ONES, YOUR CHILDREN AND YOUR PETS?

THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

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WHY WE DISAGREE WITH SCIENTISTS FINDINGS ON VITAMIN D INTAKE

By Pete & Nikki

According to latest research, Everyone in Britain should take vitamin D supplements in fall and winter, tripling their current intake and reducing their risk of bone disease This is according to public health officials.

A government-commissioned report has set the recommended levels at 10 micrograms of the vitamin a day, which experts say may not be achievable through diet alone, particularly when sunlight—an aide to vitamin D production—is scarce. However, we are both medically trained, and see this as a way of injecting life into a struggling market in vitimin supplements. In fact, we stropngly suspect this was commissioned by a commercial company such as Holland and Barret to boost sales.

A lack of vitamin D can, indeed, lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain and tenderness as a result of a condition called osteomalacia in adults,but these can be obtained with a healthy balanced diet that contains fish, eggs and dairy products...

A selection of vitamin supplements, Public health officials have advised Britons to consider getting their vitamin D from 10 microgram supplements during Autumnand winter.

Vitamin D is found in foods such as oily fish, eggs and fortified cereals but, according to the report, for most people, the bulk of their vitamin D is made from the action of sunlight on their skin.

Official estimates suggest one in five adults and one in six children in England may have low levels and after an extensive review of the evidence, carried out by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN).

It has been suggested that everyone over the age of one needs to consume 10 micrograms of vitamin D each day in order to protect bone and muscle health.

Public health officials say in winter months people should consider getting this from 10 microgram supplements, if their diet is unlikely to provide it.

NOTE THE GET-OUT CLAUSE AT THE END HERE, 'IF THEIR DIET IS UNLIKELY TO PROVIDE IT...

We reckon it is because many people in the UK are so addicted to take-ways and other unhealthy foods, that they can't be bothered, or don't have the time, to cook decent meals for themselves with healthy ingredients - don't fall for this, and leave out man-made supplememts - trash the McDonalds, Pizzas and KFCs, and get back to eating PROPER FOOD!

PS: Our mate Frank William Swaine has commented (as he is having trouble sending replies through Facebook) on this, and he has a good point: 'The very people who wrote this report are the same people who are telling people to use Sun blocker, which PREVENTS UV light getting to the skin, and so doesn't allow the skin to absorb the vitimin D that it needs!

Any comments of this?

Maybe Sun blocker and Vitimin tablets are manufactured by the same companie? It's a thought.

Probably many of us are health-concious, and heed the advice to take our five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, - but do we fully understand how the body works and processes these foods?

Many people either can't be bothered, or don't like to eat apples, oranges and other fruit, but will quite happily have an orange drink or apple drink, thinking that is just as good.

Well, we are sorry, but that is A WRONG ASSUMPTION!

In fact, the juice of fruit is very very high in sugar.

Admittedly that sugar is in the form of FRUCTOSE, which, as the name suggests, is FRUIT SUGAR, and is present in all fruit.

This is what makes fruit taste so good, so that animals and birds will eat the fruit, together with the seeds, only to discard the seeds in their droppings, with their own portion of fertilizer!

This is natures little trick to spread the seeds as far and wide as possible.

HOWEVER - when you squeeze the fruit juice from the fruit, you are discarding the flesh of the fruit, which is the very part, (the fibre) which helps your body to absorb the nutritional sugars SLOWLY, so that the sugars don't lay fat around your middle and other parts of your body.

On the OTHER hand, when you eat a WHOLE FRUIT, you are getting juice and fibre in equal doses, as nature intended.

The fibre acts as a decelerator, slowing down the sugars absorbency.

IN PLAIN ENGLISH, WHEN YOU EAT FRUIT, IT IS VERY GOOD FOR YOU, AND DOESN'T ADD TO YOUR WEIGHT, WHEREAS IF YOU SIMPLY DRINK FRUIT JUICES, IT WILL MAKE YOU FAT!

OUR MOTTO? EAT MORE FRUIT, DRINK LESS JUICES!

Love & Peace

Pete & Nikki

xxx

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Pete's Experience of

CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY

By Pete Perry

On the 4th December 2013, I went into Lister Hospital, Stevenage, Herts, for an angioplasty. That is, I had to have three stents inserted in two arteries into my heart.

Now I know this will be happening to quite a few people who read this, so I would like to explain the procedure, and to assure anyone due for, are are thinking of having this operation done....

The procedure may be necessary when one or more coronary arteries become blocked, as in the diagram on the right... this is known medically, as atheroma, or blocking of the arteries with fatty deposits.

These fatty deposits will resprict the flow of blood through your arteries, so your consultant may then decide that you would benefit from a Coronary Angioplasty, whereby stents are inserted through your arteries, into position.

Stents are small, round, cage-like devices, that, when opened up, lock into position to hold the arteries open.

This is achieved by inserting a wire through your arteries (either through your groin (Femeral Arteries) or through your wrist (Radial Arteries)

Attatched to the wire is the stent, in which is fitted a small balloon.

Once the stent is in the correct position, the balloon is inflated, expanding the stent in the correct position.

Once the stent is in position, the balloon is deflated again, and it, and the wire removed, leaving the artery open.

See diagram on the left, which fully explains the procedure.

In normal circumstances, the patient will be sent home the same day as the operation (as I was) and is told to rest for a couple of weeks.

Occasionally, the patient may be kept in overnight.

TO REASSURE ANYONE WHO IS DUE TO HAVE THIS PROCEDURE CARRIED OUT, I WOULD SAY GO AHEAD WITHOUT ANY FEAR - I FEEL LIKE A NEW MAN ALREADY!

Love & Peace

Pete Perry

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MORE STUPID, THOUGHTLESS PARKING!

By Pete Perry

Here's another example of thoughtless, stupid, selfish parking, - by a Stevenage Borough Council Contractor no less!

Another one from Lucy Lulubelle Willson (AKA Lucy Lockett!) who writes:'Parking like a knob!!! thanx PH Jones for letting me 3 children and our buggy have to go into the ROAD!!!'

This example (right) of stupid, thoughtless parking was also sent in by Lucy Lulubelle Willson, who encountered this awful bit of parking in Shephal Way, Stevenage, whilst taking her boys out in the buggy.

She actually had to take the buggy into the road to get round this idiot's car..

Lucy gave her own interpretation, but, unfortutaley, it is unprintable in a family online magazine!BUT WE CERTAINLY AGREE WITH HER!

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Take a look at the photograph on the left of a white van parked at The Peartree shops, Stevenage.

You will notice that the driver has not only straddled TWO parking spaces, but one of those parking spaces is for Blue-Badge holders.

HOW THOUGHTLESS IS THAT?

ENLARGE THE PICTURE BY CLICKING ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER FOR THE REGISTRATION NUMBER!

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OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL STUPIDITY...

By Pete & Nikki

Take a look at the photo on the left, with Pete acting as a blind person, walking along the public footpath from TK MAXX to STAPLES in Stevenage Town Centre.

Of course, if you are blessed with the power of sight, you will be able to see that to get from one place to the other, you would need to take a quick turn left, to avoid hitting your head on the top of the underpass.

On the other hand, if you are blind and have to rely on a stick, there is no way you would know that the headroom is only 1.3m (which is signposted for sighted people) - and walking straight on would result in a nasty injury.

TAKE NOTE STEVENAGE COUNCIL!

Now on to our second example of stupidity, spotted by us recently at The Hyde Shopping Centre Stevenage...

Councils may be stupid at times, but what about THIS example (pictured right) for a really bad and selfish bit of parking?

The parking space is clearly marked for use by disabled drivers only, whilst the corner section is clearly marked for NO PARKING, - and yet this idiot has parked in such a way that a disabled driver could not possibly get into the designated space without blocking this idiot in!

It would serve them right if someone DID park there...

IT MAKES US WONDER HOW THESE PEOPLE ARE EVER ALLOWED ON THE ROAD AT ALL!!

To get a clearer view of the number plate, click on the bottom R/H corner of the photo to enlarge!

I was rather annoyed and upset the other day when Pete & I went food shopping at Sainsburys at Coreys Mill Stevenage. It was a very hot day, and as Pete's wife and main carer, I wanted my husband to take a rest so that he could get his breath back.

I then noticed that there was only one bench seat, which was occupied by an elderly couple. SO WHAT HAS HAPPENED THE REST OF THE BENCHES FOR OTHERS TO REST ON?

There are plenty of people who suffer badly in hot weather, especially the elderly and disabled. This isn't just a problem at Sainsburys either. Tesco, Asda, Aldi, The Co-op, they are all the same - not enough seats inside or outside the stores for people to rest.

THESE STORES GET PLENTY OF MONEY FROM THEIR CUSTOMERS, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO CUSTOMER COMFORT, IT IS NON-EXISTENT!

I was NOT impressed!

We spend our money at these stores, so the least they could do is look after their customers comfort needs!

Love & Peace

NIKKI X

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MORE SELFISH PARKING EXPOSED

By Pete Perry

Once again, Nikki and I took a walk down the shops (The way the price of petrol is going, we might ALL have to walk) to see if the custom of parking on the pavement has improved, since we did our last piece on this thoughtless practice (see bottom of this page).

Have a look at these pictures, and tell me - how you suppose a blind person, or a disabled person in a wheel chair is supposed to negotiate these badly-parked vehicles?

As you can see from the picture on the right, this lorry was parked completely up on the pavement, and Nikki had to walk blindly into the road to pass. Imagine if she had been a wheelchair user?

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE ILLEGAL, SO WHERE ARE THE POLICE?.

Click on bottom R/H corner of pictures to enlarge

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ON THE TRAIL OF THE GIANT HOGWEED

Way back on 22nd March 1975, Pete Perry highlighted the dangers of the Giant Hogweed, because it had appeared on waste land in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.

Now the plant, known to botanists as Heracleum Giganteum, is again growing in the same area of Stevenage, by Elder way, and close to the retail park, and nobody is doing a thing about it.

Giant Hogweed, when touched, can cause severe blistering of the skin, and the rash can last for anything up to seven years. In some cases, where people are particularly sensitive to such things, it can cause toxic shock syndrome, which could, in the worse-case scenario, cause death.

Pete has been keeping an eye on this plant locally every decade since 1975, and has reported it in the local newspapers and local television every decade since then, - and yet STILL Stevenage Borough Council have not got on top of the situation. In this, the latest outbreak, the council know who own the land, but will not make their knowledge public. THE FACT IS, THAT, ALTHOUGH THE GIANT HOGWEED IS GROWING ON PRIVATE LAND, THAT LAND IS NOT FENCED OFF, AND PEOPLE REGULARLY USE IT FOR WALKING DOGS, AND CHILDREN OFTEN PLAY IN THE AREA, WHICH IS CLOSE TO THE RETAIL PARK.

HAS SOMEONE GOT TO GET SERIOUSLY ILL BEFORE THE COUNCIL ACT?

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Below are a couple of Pete's ironic cartoons, published in The Stevenage Comet newspaper in the 1980s...